1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to improved networking and in particular to improved control over a DHCP server by multiple client systems. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to enabling a first system to modify a DHCP configuration of a second system at a DHCP server without requiring a remote login to the DHCP server.
2. Description of the Related Art
Networking today is often based on a client-server model. In general, in a client-server model, the client system sends requests to the server and the server processes the requests and returns a result. Under a client-server model, a single system may act as a client in some cases and as a server in others.
Systems within a client-server network are typically assigned network addresses to identify themselves and establish connections with other systems in the network. In particular, a server configured as a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server allocates network addresses to dynamically configured systems. A network address assigned by a DHCP server typically has a configured lease time, after which the address is released.
In particular, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is an Internet protocol that provides configuration parameters to Internet hosts. In addition to functioning as a mechanism for DHCP server allocation of network addresses, DHCP is a protocol for supporting delivery of host-specific configuration parameters from a DHCP server to a host.
A DHCP server may be combined with another type of server within a network. Often, however, it is advantageous to have multiple servers that perform specific services, such as multiple installation servers, and a separate DHCP server.
When network systems interact with a separate DHCP server to set up configuration parameters, there are many scenarios in which one system needs to setup or modify the DHCP configuration parameters for another system. For example, consider an installation server that is a separate system from the DHCP server and is controlling the network installation of another system that is a DHCP client. For the installation to succeed, the client's lease time of a network address from the DHCP server must be increased so the lease does not expire during the installation. For the installation server to change the DHCP lease time configuration of another system, currently, the installation server must call a remote shell (rsh), secure shell (ssh), or other login function that allows the installation server to remotely login to the DHCP server to make the changes.
Use of an rsh or ssh, however, is undesirable for several reasons. First, a system administrator must set up a service on the DHCP server that allows remote clients, such as the installation server, to execute the rsh or ssh command and gain access to the DHCP server. Then, the remote client must remotely login to the DHCP server and execute commands to change the configuration in the DHCP server. Further, this solution is often undesirable because with rsh or ssh access, the remote client, such as the installation server, is able to modify more than just the configuration of the DHCP service. Finally, use of rsh or ssh is undesirable because the DHCP daemon must be restarted for the configuration changes to take effect.
Therefore, in view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a method, system, and program for enabling a first system to modify a second system's DHCP configuration at an independent DHCP server without requiring the first system to remotely login to the DHCP server, with limited configuration options, and without requiring the DHCP daemon to restart to effect the change.